Dehradun, Oct 30 (PTI) To provide a marketing platform to the animal keepers in Uttarakhand, the state government on Wednesday signed an MoU with the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) for the supply of live goats, sheep, chicken and fish to its battalion deployed in the border areas of the state under the Vibrant Village Programme.
The MoU was signed by BVRC Purushottam, Secretary, Animal Husbandry, Fisheries and Dairy Development, and Sanjay Gunjyal, IG, ITBP.
More than 11,000 animal keepers of the state, including 7,000 sheep and goat rearers, more than 800 poultry farmers and over 500 fish farmers, will directly benefit from the agreement through over 80 cooperative societies, an official release said.
This is for the first time that such a large number of sheep, goat, fish and poultry farmers are being provided a marketing platform like this which is expected to generate an annual turnover of Rs 200 crore.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, in whose presence the MoU was signed, said it will boost livelihood opportunities for people living in the border villages.
Animal Husbandry Minister Saurav Bahuguna said the scheme will also help stop migration of people to other states. PTI ALM ARI